Medicine
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Observational Study
Association Between the Neutrophil/Lymphocyte Ratio and Acute Kidney Injury After Cardiovascular Surgery: A Retrospective Observational Study.
A high neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (N/L ratio) was associated with the development of acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients with severe sepsis. We sought to investigate the association between the perioperative N/L ratios and postoperative AKI in patients undergoing high-risk cardiovascular surgery. A retrospective medical chart review was performed of 590 patients who underwent cardiovascular surgeries, including coronary artery bypass, valve replacement, patch closure for atrial or ventricular septal defect and surgery on the thoracic aorta with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). ⋯ The quartiles of immediately postoperative N/L ratio were associated with graded increase in risk of AKI development (fourth quartile [N/L ratio≥10] multivariate odds ratio 5.90, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.74-12.73; P < 0.001), a longer hospital stay, and a higher in-hospital and 1-year mortality rate (fourth quartile [N/L ratio≥10] adjusted hazard ratio for 1-year mortality [8.40, 95% CI 2.50-28.17]; P < 0.001). In patients undergoing cardiovascular surgery with CPB, elevated N/L ratios in the immediately postoperative period and on POD one were associated with an increased risk of postoperative AKI and 1-year mortality. The N/L ratio, which is easily calculable from routine work-up, can therefore assist with risk stratification of AKI and mortality in high-risk surgical patients.
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Comparative Study Observational Study
Comparative Effectiveness of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors and Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers in Terms of Major Cardiovascular Disease Outcomes in Elderly Patients: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study.
Renin and aldosterone activity levels are low in elderly patients, raising concerns about the benefits and risks of angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARB) use. However, data from direct comparisons of the effects of ACEIs on ARBs in the elderly population remain inconclusive. In this nationwide study, all patients aged ≥ 70 years were retrieved from the Taiwan National Health Insurance database for the period 2000 to 2009 and were followed up until the end of 2010. ⋯ AT analysis produced similar results to those of ITT analysis. We were unable to demonstrate a survival difference between cohorts (HR 1.03, 95% CI 0.88-1.21) after considering drug discontinuation as a competing risk in AT analysis. Our study supports the notion that ACEI and ARB users have similar risks of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), even in elderly populations.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Observational Study
Dynamic of Mixed HCV Infection in Plasma and PBMC of HIV/HCV Patients Under Treatment With Peg-IFN/Ribavirin.
The extent of mixed hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype in different compartments (plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cell, PBMC) and possible association with treatment efficacy in HIV/HCV coinfected patients remains to be unknown. The objective of this study was to elucidate the frequency of mixed genotype infection (MG), its profile in different compartments during anti-HCV treatment, and the possible influence of different genotypes on the response rate. The compartmentalization of HCV population was investigated by next-generation sequencing in 19 HIV/HCV coinfected patients under anti-HCV treatment with peginterferon/ribavirin (P-R). ⋯ By multivariate analysis, MG in plasma samples was the most important viral factor affecting the treatment response (P = 0.0237). Detection of MG in plasma of HIV/HCV coinfected patients seems to represent the major determinant of response to P-R treatment. This finding may have important clinical implication in light of the new therapeutic approach in HIV/HCV coinfected individuals suggesting that combination treatment with direct acting antivirals could be less effective in MG.
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Comparative Study Observational Study
Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion for Degenerative Discogenic Low Back Pain: Evaluation of L4-S1 Fusion.
The treatment of degenerative discogenic pain is controversial, and anterior lumbar fusion for the treatment of degenerative discogenic low back pain has also been a controversial topic for over a generation. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the outcome of different anterior lumbar fusion levels for degenerative discogenic low back pain. In this study, we performed a clinical outcome subgroup analysis. ⋯ The complications secondary to the surgical approach were persistent abdominal pain (1/84, 1.2%) and wound dehiscence (1/84, 1.2%). Anterior lumbar interbody fusion for L4-L5 had better clinical results than the 2-segmental L4-L5/L5-S1 disc fusion, and the 2-segmental L4-L5/L5-S1 disc fusion had better clinical results than the L5-S1 disc fusion. Also, the 2-segmental L4-L5/L5-S1 disc fusion had a higher complication rate (27.3%), but there was no difference between the L4-L5 group (9.1%) and the L5-S1 group (12.5%).
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Comparative Study Observational Study
Pure Laparoscopic Versus Open Liver Resection for Primary Liver Carcinoma in Elderly Patients: A Single-Center, Case-Matched Study.
Pure laparoscopic liver resection (PLLR) has been reported to be as safe and effective as open liver resection (OLR) for liver lesions, and it is associated with less intraoperative blood loss, shorter hospital stay, and lower complication rate. However, studies comparing PLLR with OLR in elderly patients were limited. The aim of this study was to analyze the short-term outcome of PLLR versus OLR for primary liver carcinoma (PLC) in elderly patients. ⋯ The postoperative complication rates were similar between groups (Group PLLR 10.0% vs Group OLR 16.7%; P = 0.532). There was no hospital mortality in both groups. PLLR for PLC is as safe and feasible as OLR, but with less blood loss, shorter hospital stay, and lower hospitalization cost for selected elderly patients.